Firefighter looking for other Hip Resurfacing Firefighters

[Firehip]

If I read this correctly Holly should be recovering from your surgery by now.  If you check the site and feel up to it I am in central Florida and looking for a resurfacing doc ANYWHERE in the area, I was told by a traditional ortho that I was a THR candidate but would not be able to continue my job as a firefighter.......I need an alternative.......and it seems HR is it.

Pat your site has been a blessing but also a source of confusion.  I realize the procedure is gaining popularity since FDA approval but it is hard to belive SO few doctors in Florida are doing this?

I need to have some reassurance I will be able to continue the job I love, I have always been very physical and for the last year have been slowly showing the osteo pain, affected gait, pain that takes my off days to recoop for my next tour of duty then repeat it again.

With all of your members and readers are there any firefighters or police officers that have returned to full duty out there!........help.....

[Pat Walter]

Hi
Unfortunately this is not a very large group, only 600 members. The Yahoo Surface Hippy Discussion Group has over 7000 members.  http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/surfacehippy/  I believe there were some firefighters there but don't know if they are still active in the group.

No doctor can give you a 100% assurance you can return to work with hip resurfacing or a THR.  Major surgery always has risks and problems.  Fortunately, they usually are small.

There are not many expereinced surgeons in hip resurfacing anywhere because it is a VERY DIFFICULT SURGERY.  It must be learned and practiced for a doctor to become really good.  THat is just the truth about hip resurfacing.  Many doctors don't have the skills to learn or don't want to do that difficult of a surgery.  The same is true of the partial knee replacements. The normal neighborhood orthpedics do the normal run of the mill surgeries.  They are not highly advanced surgeons in specialty fields.  Just like your normal family doctor doesn't do heart bypass surgery.  You go to specialists to have difficult surgeries done.

I certainly would not want my family doctor cutting my chest apart.  We don't even have open heart surgery offered within 2 hours from my town.  It is not any different with hip resurfacing except open heart surgery has been FDA approved for a much longer time.

So we can't always find experienced surgeons in our home town or even state sometimes.  In Ohio there are only a handful of doctors doing hip resurfacing, but none experienced like the older hip resurfacing doctors we often talk about. Given time, some very experienced and wonderful hip resurfacing surgeons will emerge while others give up the surgery and go back to THRs.

If you want to chance using a less experineced surgeon, that is fine.  It really depends on how you feel about it.  The revision rate for BHRS dropped from 99% down to 96% when the US doctors started doing reusrfacing in 2006   http://www.surfacehippy.info/bhrhistory.php They brought the average down from the world wide average since they are all new and learning.  It is the chance you take - 4 out of 100 will have problems.  If you are a gambling person and don't mind the odds - use the newer doctors.  Many do.

I truly doubt any doctor will hand you a guarantee that you can return to your job with any kind of hip replacement.  They feel you probably will, but THRs have as many problems if not more than resurfacing.  Resufacing loads your hip like your natural hip does.  THRs don't.  Most THR patients have a load lift limit - like 40 pounds.  Have you asked your doctor what weight you can lift with a MOM or a hip resurfacing?  All questions you need to answer.  Can you climb a ladder with no problem, etc.

Sometimes in life, we can't always do what we want.  It is terrible that our hips and joints give out, but we then have to live with artificial joints.  They simply are not the same as the original equipment.  Many people do fantastic things with the artificial joints and some just can't.

There are no guarantees in life.  I wish there were.  I am sorry that I can't tell your more.   

I do wish you the very best and hope you can find a solution to your hip pain that will allow you to continue to be a firefighter.  Please let me know if I can give you any other information.

Pat

[Vicky]

I have been working with a lot of firefighters lately.  Just met two new ones yesterday at my hippy gathering in California.  I am getting them in touch with a few other firemen.  I have sent an email out to a friend who is also a fireman in Fr. Pierce Florida.  He had his hip resurfaced by Dr. Gross on July 3, 2006.  Here was a post from him on the surface hippy message board that he posted the end of February.  The last I heard from him he is looking into getting his other hip done.  I will let you know when I hear back from him.

Vicky

Decision

“I am a year and a half post op. I am a firefighter and I've put my
hip through every thing you can think of, and it hasn't let me or anyone else down.So if your having trouble deciding which way to go,take
from me do the resurfacing. All you have to do is go to a call where
someone has dislocated their new hip replacement, which happens a lot
and that will make up your mind for you.Just remember if the Doctor
isn't making money on it, he's going to steer you away from it.


MIke
Gross R/Biomet 7/03/06”

 

[blmjumper]

Firehip....

Once the paperwork goes through....I'll be a Cormet resurfacing firefighter, 'cept in the woods.

I'm not going back to smokejumping, but my Dr. said I shouldn't have any problems staying in the wildland fire world. Heavy loads, steep country...endless hikes, etc. He's been with me since I blew my femur up in 01', so has a good understanding of the stresses my joints go through.

Good luck and I'll keep you posted.

[bayline8]

   Hi... I also am a firefighter in california...I am 6 mos post op hip arthroscopy for fAI and arthritis and it is now worse than before surgery...going to the doc next week to discuss BHR.......firehip I hear where you're at..I stress constantly about being able to return to the job and secondly as an athlete returning to some funtional sport normalcy...it would be so encouraging to hear from fire/police who have returned to work after BHR

                                                                                                                                           thanks

[LV2SRF]

Hi, I am a fire fighter in Guam and soon I will be having my resurfacing done (hopefully by Dr. Bose in India). I would like to read testimonials of fire fighter/ EMT's or anyone who has traveled to India with useful tips. Can anybody hook me up?

[karatesport1]

Hi- i'm a fireman in Nevada who needs both hips after 23 years of being on the line.  I'm new to this diagnosis and want resurfacing rather than total hip-  has anyone claimed this as job related?  i've had deilings fall on me, bad falls air pack up flights of stairs and my physical therapist says just climbing high steps onto the rig has caused alot of joint problems./

[Vicky]

Many firefighters go through workman's comp.  I believe you are the one that just emailed me?  I will give you more info in my reply to that email.

Vicky

[blmjumper]

Just got the news...work comp approved my hip resurfacing with no problems. Took them less than two weeks!!!

I scheduled my surgery on Dec. 1st here in Boise with Dr. Menzner (he's been my ortho since I broke my femur 8 years ago).

Can't wait as the pain is becoming a REAL pain!!

Been talking with some other suface hippies and the rumor going around is if you give the hip six months of a kinder and gentler environment (and not push it too hard) right after the surgery..it'll give big payoffs on the life of the appliance on the back end.

I hope that's true!!!

[Pat Walter]

Hi blmjumper

Glad to hear your work comp has been approved.

I hope you will keep in touch and write a story after your surgery.  It would be great to hear from you when you get back to work.

Good Luck and stay in touch.

Pat